Side activated safety scalpel for left and right hand users with blade removal system

ABSTRACT

A surgical scalpel is presented which combines the attributes of cost-effectiveness in design while being ambidextrous and autoclavable. The design of the device affords left handed or right handed medical personnel with the feel, weight and balance of the original metal unguarded scalpel, while maintaining safety through the shielding of the blade during non-use and the ability to dispose of the blade in a safe controlled manner without having to place one&#39;s hands near the unguarded sharp. Surgeons of either dexterity are able to learn and operate using similar techniques and instruments heretofore not available to them. No longer must a left handed surgeon be forced into the right handed world to perform surgery. The device is designed to use existing styles of blades currently available without needing costly inventories of specially created blades for the multitude of other such devices on the market.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/802,522, filed Mar. 13, 2013, entitled “SideActivated Safety Scalpel for Left and Right Hand Users with BladeRemoval System,” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,622,773, which claims benefit ofprovisional application No. 61/685,480, filed Mar. 19, 2012, entitled“Side Activated Safety Scalpel for Left and Right Hand Users with BladeRemoval System,” the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention covers the field of application where users are needingprotection from accidental punctures from scalpel blades during the useand storage of surgical scalpels. More importantly, this inventionallows the user of the device to be either left or right handed whilestill being able to use the device with the controlling mechanismlocated next to the user's thumb. The user of this invention also isable to ascertain the position of the shield through tactile sensoryperception as well as having the safety of knowing that removal of theblade is only accomplished by a secondary ejectment location of theshield which is not part of the normal operation of the shield.

Each year many users accidentally slice or puncture themselves withsharp instruments either during use, during transfer from one person toanother or from inadvertent misplacement of sharps in potentiallydangerous locations. This is especially dangerous in the medical arena,as potentially fatal diseases can be spread through accidental contactwith sharps. Emergency Rooms are battlegrounds compared to the operatingrooms where quick action amongst many people is required to save lives.Sharp protection is a must and must be easy to operate. Prior art isreplete with many different styles of devices that act to cover sharpblades.

There are 4 main types of prior art that exist to prevent users fromaccidental contact with sharp blades. The 4 areas involve deviceswhere 1) the sharp is retracted into the body of the device; 2) wherethe device is a disposable or single use application, where the entiresharp with the handle is not reused; 3) a device that moves in anon-linear fashion to cover the blade while it is not in use; and 4)those devices which remove a detachable blade from the handle of thedevice. Only the fourth type of devices is applicable to this inventionas the shield slides in a linear path along the handle.

The fourth arena of the prior art involves the use of devices wherebythe sharp is attached to and then removed from the handle. In one group,there are those devices where the sharp is directly attached to thehandle and another group contains devices where the sharp is placed intoa cartridge which is then placed upon the handle. Both groups involvehandling of the sharp prior to its inclusion into some protective cover,increasing the chance of accidental puncture. In the first group,Herbert et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,771 issued on Feb. 9, 1999, Newmanet al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,925 issued on Sep. 30, 2003 and van derWesthuizen et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,494 disclose the procedure ofattaching the sharp to the handle and then attaching a sliding bladeguard. Once the sharp is used, the blade can be removed along with theguard. Herbert uses existing style surgical handles, while van derWesthuizen and Newman use a unique handle that is modified at the distalend of the handle nearest the sharp, to receive the guard. Both devicesrequire the user to load the sharps device onto the handle, requiringthe unguarded sharp to be handled by those that the device is designedto protect, and often those people are wearing gloves which will reducetactile feel. In a different approach disclosed by Noack in U.S. Pat.No. 5,312,429 issued on May 17, 1994, a unique blade with an opposedtang is removed by sliding the blade release element when the element isslid down the handle toward the sharp. This is a two handed operationinvolving two separate pieces. In the sliding of the element, if one'shand slips from the element it would be certainly cut by the exposedblade. Also the blade is without direction or restraint when releasedfrom its location on the handle. It could fly anywhere in the operatingroom as there is tension built up between the tang of the blade and therest of the blade that was forced over the post on the handle.

Cartridge types highlighted by U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,999 to Griffin et alissued on Apr. 24, 2007, show the use of a cartridge that contains theblade for the scalpel. The cartridge doubles as a shield when it isretracted over the handle after the attachment of the blade to the tangof the handle. Each cartridge is unique to a particular style of bladeand requires a two handed operation to remove and attach the blade. Thisextra cartridge material creates costly waste. It is also againstcurrent disposal regulations to mix plastics with metal sharpscontainers as they require different disposal techniques. U.S. Pat. No.7,172,611 issued to Harding et al on Feb. 6, 2007 shows anothercartridge but this one is required to use a special blade with“non-arcuate” holes which increase the cost and decreases itseffectiveness to be used with a broad range of access. All cartridgestyle scalpels use the removal of the cartridge that contains the bladeas the means for blade removal. Though safe, these devices are limitedby needing unique cartridges to hold the wide variety of bladesavailable.

Another adaptation of this concept, which is closer to the currentinvention, is found in the series of patents from Jolly et al, U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,827,309; 5,752,968 and 5,792,162 issued Oct. 27, 1998, May 19,1998 and Aug. 11, 1998 respectively. These Jolly patents show a bladeremover which first removes the tang of the blade from the post into anotch on the sliding guard. The '968 Patent discloses that “guard 30 canbe advanced distally to force blade 50 from blade carrier”. The built instresses mentioned above are now increased with a forcible removal ofthe blade with the sliding guard, increasing the chance for the blade tobe misdirected about the operating room. In the second group, Gharibianin U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,329 issued on Jun. 18, 1996 and Cohn et al inU.S. Pat. No. 5,938,676 issued on Aug. 17, 1999 disclose the use of acartridge system whereby the sharp is placed into a cartridge which isthen encased by a guard prior to its placement onto the handle. Thisoperation is safer as the sharp is guarded during assembly but creates asituation as each discloses a unique handle designed to receive thecartridges and shields. Cohn et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,892 issued onAug. 24, 1999 combines prior art by incorporating the cartridge conceptthat is “removably retained within the cavity” in the handle. This is asafe alternative but uses unique handles. All of the prior art in thissection requires the use of two hands to safely operate the device whichis at odds with current FDA compliance rules.

In the last arena of prior art, a guard is placed around a stationaryblade. There is nothing unique about the concept, and its applicationcan be seen from the simple to the complex. Applications of a morecomplex nature are found in Abidin et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,669issued on Sep. 2, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,281 issued on Oct. 29,1996, Jolly et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,289 issued on Apr. 21, 1998,Matwijcow in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,696 and Dolgin et al in U.S. Pat. No.5,071,426 issued on Dec. 10, 1991. Matwijcow discloses a rack and pinionsystem for movement of the guard over the blade which causes a reversesequence of logic, as the user needs to pull back to move the guardforward. This could be confusing in the fast paced operating room whereseveral different types of devices might be used at once. Dolgin alsouses a “linkage system” to extend the blade guard “over a substantiallygreater distance than the distance which the surgeon's fingers move inoperating the actuating mechanism”. This is an unnecessarily complex andexpensive concept using unique handles which require manual loading ofthe blades onto the handle. Jolly provides for both linear actuation ofthe guard along with a rotational movement of the guard and blade awayfrom the handle for cleaning purposes. This device is complex andexpensive to manufacture and use. The Abidin '281 patent discloses aguard which “comprises an inverted U-shaped channel membertelescopically mounted within the hollow handle for sliding movementtherein”. It is held in position by an exposed pin which would be in theway of the surgeon's hands and could be accidentally triggered to moveat the improper time. This device is also not usable with currently usedscalpels and it requires a unique handle. Abidin '669 is anotherinternally guided blade guard with a unique handle. But this patent alsodiscloses in column 10 line 11, that it does not work with conventionalscalpel blades. '669 does combine a blade guard and a blade ejector, butFIG. 36 details the need for two handed operation to remove the blade.FIG. 45 and FIG. 48 show that the blade is not restrained after it isremoved from the handle, and as described above, there is a considerableamount of tension on the blade. The disclosure details the added tensionas the guard actually pushes the blade off of the post upon which it isattached. There is nothing to restrain the loose blade. An unrestrainedblade could fly off anywhere in the operating room and this is not asafe method of removal. '669 also discloses in FIG. 32 the complicatedway of attaching the blade with two small pins, which would be verydifficult with gloved hands in a hurried operating room. FIG. 130 of'669 shows the user sliding the guard forward using their forefinger,which would present an obvious problem should the guard become slipperydue to bodily fluids, and the user's finger slips from the guard ontothe exposed blade.

The inventor of this current invention has his own prior art in thefield of scalpels that have a blade that is attached/detached from ahandle, but differ substantially from the current invention. U.S. Pat.No. 8,156,653 issued on Apr. 17, 2012 to Austria, discloses a top railmounted scalpel with three basic segments. That invention requires theuse of two hands in order to eject the blade and the blade becomestrapped in the shield, requiring the use of another action by the userto get rid of the sharps blade, which is not desirable as well as havingan impediment that all of the existing prior art possesses. Theinability to be ambidextrous, allowing for left handed and right handedusers to operate and to be trained upon one instrument in the samemanner, while enjoying all of the advantages of the “right” handedversion.

There is a need to preclude the problems associated with the prior artand the current state of technology in this field. It would bepreferable to produce a device that would provide current users with adevice that would improve upon some of the shortcomings of the priorart. Industry has set standards for their equipment and it would bedesirable to have a device that fits their standard equipment, ratherthan adapt to new equipment. Sharps users, especially surgeons, are usedto the weight, balance, fit, form and feel of their tools of the trade,and are reticent to change. It is well practiced in the medical field,that metal sharps handles are used because they possess a certain weightand balance that plastic handles have a hard time replicating. Industryneeds to adapt protections to currently used sharps, as new devices areusually met with skepticism and doubt, and are thus not used. Industrydoes not want to carry duplicative inventories of many similar productsbecause they do not work with one another.

It is also important to recognize that though only 7% of the populationare considered left-handed, over 15% of all surgeons are left-handedaccording to the British Medical Journal in 2005, which found thatleft-handed surgeons are forced to use right handed devices causing agreater incident of accidental punctures from sharps. Left handedsurgeons should be able to use devices designed for left-handed surgeonswhile accommodating the number of devices that a hospital must have inits inventory. A device that is capable of use by right or left handedsurgeons reduces the amount of inventory that must be carried by thesurgical institution.

It would be desirable to have a new device made in such a manner that itcould have multiple users, and could be reusable. It would be desirableto have the device made of autoclavable plastic or metal and designed sothat it will not have any hidden recesses or other cavities that wouldtrap harmful bacteria precluding the chance that it could beautoclavable. It would be desirable and advantageous to possess a bladeremoving apparatus which is designed not to interfere with a user'ssingle handed operation of the device while insuring that accidentalremoval of the blade is eliminated.

It would be desirable to have a scalpel to be able to easily remove andchange blades during surgical procedures, whereby one handle is capableof receiving multiple sizes and shapes of blades.

These and other features, advantages, and objects of the presentinvention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art by reference to the following specification, claims, andappended drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the goal of this invention to create a sharpsprotection device that has the aforementioned characteristics ofsimplicity, protection, adaptability to current uses and safety. It isan object of this invention to create a device that will protect boththe user of the sharp as well as the person who comes in accidentalcontact with misplaced sharps, and for the person to whom the sharp istransferred.

It is an object of this invention to create a device that is operablewith a single hand and allows for the user to be either left or righthanded to operate the device. The user must be able to retract or extendthe sharps guard and be able to remove the sharp from the handle if thatoption is available to the user with the particular sharp.

It is an object of this invention to create a device that does notinterfere with the normal operation of the scalpel and that does notsubstantially change the feel of the scalpel. It is an object of thisinvention to create a device whose design allows for the modification ofsaid design altering the weight and balance characteristics whilemaintaining overall design allowing for interchangeability.

It is an object of this invention to create a device that is rapidlyinterchangeable between a wide range of sharp's blades of varyingdevices from different manufacturers. The device must be simple to useand maintain. Users must be able to disassemble, clean, and reassemblein a matter of moments, while using gloved hands with reduced tactilefeel. The device must have no small or intricate parts which wouldpreclude the quick assembly of the device or that would foul or catch onthe gloved hands of the surgical team.

It is an object of this invention to create a device which adapts tocurrent state of the art devices, reducing the need for training,evaluating and maintaining multiple inventories of devices and sharps.It is an object of this invention that industry standard blades, whichare accepted onto a wide range of currently existing handles, are to beused without modification to the blade or handle.

It is an object of this invention to create a device which has positivestops, including tactual and auditory signals, indicating the relativeposition of the guard, either in retraction or extension of the surgicalsafety scalpel.

It is an object of this invention to create a device that does notinvolve placing of the protective device over the sharp in such a mannerthat actually increases the likelihood of accidental contact with thesharp. The user should be able to use the device immediately “out of thebox” without having to add guarding or assemble cartridges prior to safeuse.

It is an object of this invention to create a device that will providefor safe removal of the sharp from the surgical safety scalpel whileusing only a single hand for the operation. It is a further object ofthis invention to have the sharp blade covered during the time theuser's hands are ejecting the blade, thereby reducing the chance foraccidental puncture and to restrict the possibility of having the bladeejected into the surgical arena.

It would be desirable to create a device which is autoclavable orsterilizable in any accepted means, and is cleanable withoutdisassembly, the device being absent of internal voids, sharp corners,chambers or holes which trap unsanitary material precluding the abilityto easily clean and sanitize the device through autoclaving or othermeans and reuse of the device. The use of autoclavable or autoclaving inthis specification is not a limiting factor but rather a generalstatement of the process of sterilizing and/or cleaning the device,through whatever means that are currently accessible and acceptable bythe industry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a left oblique position with the shield in the open position;

FIG. 1A is a detailed view of the rear portion of the inventiondetailing the shield's rendition device;

FIG. 2 is a right side rearward oblique view of the handle portion;

FIG. 3 is a right side frontal oblique view detailing the retentionchannel of the handle portion;

FIG. 4 is a left side rearward oblique view of the handle portion;

FIG. 5 is a left side frontal oblique view detailing the bottom portionof the handle portion;

FIG. 6 is a right side oblique perspective of the shield portion;

FIG. 7 is a left frontal oblique perspective of the shield portion;

FIG. 7A is a detailed view of FIG. 7 showing the ejectment means on theleft side of the shield;

FIG. 8 is an upper side oblique view of the shield portion;

FIG. 9 is a frontal left side oblique view of the shield in the closedposition;

FIG. 9A is a detailed view of the retention portion of the shield in theclosed position;

FIG. 10 is a left side frontal oblique view of the shield in theejectment position;

FIG. 10A is a detailed view of the retention portion of the shield inthe ejectment position;

FIG. 10B is a detailed view during the ejectment process showing theejectment means removed from the tang of the surgical blade from thehandle portion, the top portion of the shield is removed for claritypurposes only;

FIG. 10C is a detailed view during the ejectment process showing theejectment means removed from the tang of the surgical blade from thehandle portion, the top portion of the shield is removed for claritypurposes only;

FIG. 11 is a left side planar view of the invention shown whichhighlights the uniqueness of the invention and also the ability toattach the scalpel blade in an inverse orientation which allows for useof the invention by left handed as well as right handed surgeons whilemaintaining the control portion of the shield location means towards theoperator's thumb; and

FIG. 12 is a right side planar view of the invention is shown whichhighlights the uniqueness of this invention in the ability to attach thescalpel blade in an inverse orientation which is shown by the scalpelnumber being upside down while the surgical blade's cutting surface islocated downwardly. This view does not have the shield attached so thatone can see the clearance of the tang of the blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This invention as disclosed in the drawings has the principal use in thesurgical environment but there exists no limiting language to preventthis invention to be practiced in other fields of use. The inventionconsists of three main elements, a handle, that holds the sharps blade,a shield that slides upon the handle, and having the shield also capableof removing the blade from the handle. This invention is a sharpsdevice, such as a knife, scalpel or box opener, with a detachableshielding means which is capable of removing said sharp from saiddevice.

In FIG. 1, the invention is shown from a frontal left side view. Handle100 has a distal tapered butt end 101 and a proximal end which containssharps mounting post 102 as seen in FIG. 4. Handle 100 is basicallyrectangular in shape with two vertical (long) walls (inner vertical(long) face 80 and outer vertical (long) face 82, which extend in thevertical direction V and the proximal-distal direction P-D, as shown inFIG. 1) and two horizontal (short) surfaces (upper horizontal (short)surface 84 and lower horizontal (short) surface 86, which extend in thehorizontal direction H and the proximal-distal direction P-D) conjoiningthe vertical walls 80,82. Though the shape is not critical to thesuccess of the invention, it conforms to the feel and balance requiredby surgeons in their medical instruments. Channel 110 is located alongat least one of the horizontal surfaces of the handle. It is shown inthis invention to be on the upper horizontal surface but nothingprevents the channel to be in the lower horizontal surface with theassociated shield interfaces located on the lower side as well or bothsurfaces. FIG. 1 shows shield 200 located in the rearward open position,exposing the sharp 300.

Sharp 300 having a cutting edge 303 which is opposite of the dull edge305, sharp 300 having a vertical orientation basically parallel to thevertical faces of the handle 100. Sharp 300 has a pointed distal end 304and a proximal end containing the tang 301 of the blade. The blade 300is mounted to handle 100 through an integral mounting feature 302 whichinterfaces with the sharps mounting groove 103. This invention isdesigned to accept industry standard surgical blades. FIG. 1A is adetailed view of the shield and handle interface when the shield is inthe rearward or open position.

Shield 200 contains a side mounted button 210 where said button ismounted on the interior side of the device whereby it is accessible tothe thumb of the user. Button 210 is outwardly biased due to the bias offlange 215 which flexes through flexor 209 which is integral to shield200. The rear portion 205 of shield 200 is located behind the buttonarea providing stability to the rear portion of the shield. The shape ofrear portion 205 is designed so as to provide a close fit between theshield and the tapered butt end 101 as reasonable engineering toleranceswill allow. The channel 110 includes a rearward shield open segment 150and a forward closed shield segment 152 separated by segment 135 and afrontal ejectment segment 154. Each segment 150, 152, and 154 isgenerally defined by an inclined segment guide (ramp) 112, a positivetactile feel gutter (detent) 111, and a terminating segment wall 105.Also shown in FIG. 1A is the rear gutter (detent) 111 which is formed atthe end of channel 110 after the button rides over rear portion inclinedsegment guide (ramp) 112. The user, as the shield transits through thechannel 110 out of segment 135 will feel the button move inwardly, asguidance pin 212, as highlighted in FIG. 8, which rides in channel 110,approaches guide 112 and moves over guide 112, prior to snapping intorear gutter (detent) 111 terminating against rear termination wall 105.This tactile feel tells the user that the rearward travel is terminatedand the gutter (detent) prevents accidental forward movement of theshield without deliberate user interaction to move the shield forward.It should be noted that the gutters (detents) are basically rectangularin nature with straight sides and bottoms. Button 210 has anti-slipfeature 211, here shown as two vertical detents, which aid the user infinding the button through gloves and prevents accidental slippage ofthe user's thumb from the button during use. Alternate forms ofanti-slip designs are available that can serve the same purpose orfunction.

FIG. 2 shows the right side of the handle which shows optional ruler 104which can be incorporated into this right side of the handle. FIG. 2also highlights the radiused lead-in frontal edges. Upper frontal edge108 and lower frontal edge 109 are similar in construction and shape andare designed to accommodate the attachment of sharp 300 in either anupward or downward orientation while attached to the mounting post 102of the handle. Steam hole 106 is present to allow for passage of steamfrom one side of the handle to the other. Steam slot 107, shown in FIG.3, is recessed in order to facilitate the flow of steam duringautoclaving and the depth of the slot is also used as a weighing method,where the amount of material relieved from the handle directly affectsthe weight and the weighting characteristics of the handle to thepreference of the user. FIG. 3 is an upper view highlighting channel110. Forward inclined segment guide (ramp) 113 is similar to the shapeand function of rearward guide 112. The user's forward progress of theshield is terminated against forward termination wall 117 and theguidance pin 212 rides over guide 113 and naturally falls into forwardgutter (detent) 118, trapping the shield in the forward or closedposition.

Ejectment inclined guide (ramp) 114 is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Theheight (in horizontal direction H away from outer wall 136) of theincline is at least twice that of the other two guides, 112 and 113.This increased height prevents accidental dislodgement of the shield inthe forward position into the ejectment position. The user mustconsciously depress button 210 with a force at least twice that of theforce necessary to transit the shield in the proximal-distal directionP-D from the open to the closed position. This extra force againdesigned to prevent accidental ejectment of the sharp from the handle.Once the user decides to eject the blade, the user depresses the buttonwhereby pin 212 enters into ejectment bay 119, as shown in FIG. 4,riding down ejectment slope 116 terminating into forward ejectmentgutter (detent) 115. At this point the blade has been removed, asdiscussed later, and the user retracts the shield, against wall 124which defines the rear portion of ejectment bay 119. Forward gutter(detent) 118 is also used for shield attachment and detachment as well.For the user to remove the shield from the handle places the shield intothe forward or closed positions with pin 212 in the forward gutter(detent) 118. The user then must retract the button, opposite ofdepressing the button, to allow for pin 21 2 to clear gutter (detent)118 and the shield is then slid to forwardly. This is another uniquesafety feature, whereby the user must use a motion opposite of thenormal operating motions of depressing the button in order to remove theshield, thereby reducing the risk of accidental removal of the shield,possibly exposing the sharp. Another unique safety feature is that theremoval of the shield from the handle, necessitates the removal of thesharp from the handle as well, as discussed below, further reducing therisk of accidental contact with the exposed sharp. FIG. 5 shows thelower horizontal surface of handle 100 showing the upper and lower tangstops 123 and 122 respectively. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 detail the weightingbar 121, which is designed to allow for specific user's preferencesregarding the weighting characteristics of their preferred scalpel. Theheight of bar 121 and contouring of bar 121 can adjust the amount andlocation of the weighting of the handle 100.

FIG. 6 shows the rear or right side 206 of the exterior portion ofshield 200 where it can be seen that the shield is not a solidcylindrical object. In the manufacturing process of forming the shield,which starts as a flat piece, mating area 208 is purposefully left as agap to facilitate better steam movement during the autoclaving processand reduces the amount of material needed for the shield therebyreducing cost and weight. Rear steam slots 207 allow for entrance ofsteam should the shield be in the open position during the autoclavingprocess. The shape of rear steam slot 207 and front steams slots 203 areshown in this example as curved arcs, but any shape or design isavailable so long as the purpose of steam passage is accomplished. FIG.7 shows the front view of shield 200 showing the concave entrance 204which reduces the weight and materials needed while still givingprotection over the critical middle part of the shield protecting usersfrom the sharp distal end 304 of said sharp 300. FIG. 7A details theejectors which are integral to shield 200, whereby the shield containstwo ejector windows, separated by a solid bar 214 along the exteriorportion of shield 200 which separates the two ejectors. The ejectorsconsist of a shovel nosed ejectment mechanism 216 which is held in anextended position in the horizontal direction H by extension 217 wherebymechanism 216 is substantially parallel to the interior face of shield200. Each extension 217 holds each ejector mechanism 216 in a locationwhereby ejector mechanism 216 is coincident with tang 301 of blade 300when the shield is in the closed position. In this invention, mechanism216 is slightly under tang 301, but does not have to be in this locationwhile the shield is in the closed position. It is only critical that themechanism is capable of removing the tang 301 of blade 300 while theshield transits into the ejectment segment. Each ejector mechanismslides laterally within lower or upper ejector guide 120 and 125, as theshield transits between the open and closed position. FIG. 9 and detailFIG. 9A show the position of the shield at the closed position. At thispoint, though not shown, mechanism 216 is appurtenant to tang 301 ofsharp 300. In FIG. 10 and detail FIG. 10A, the shield is moved into theejectment segment whereby the blade is removed from the sharps mountingpost 102, and freely falls into a sharps container guided by theinterior portion of shield 200. FIG. 10C details the relationshipbetween mechanism 216 and tang 301 as the shield is moved forward. FIG.10B details sharp 300 as the integral mounting feature 302 as it isremoved from mounting groove 103. As described herein, due to theincreased amount of pressure needed to move the shield into theejectment portion from the closed position, the fact that mechanism 216is behind tang 301 at this position is not a detriment, as accidentaldislodgement is not a consideration.

Another unique feature of this invention is the ability to insert thesharp into either a cutting edge facing upwards or downwards as is morecommonly done. Due to the shape and location of the tang stops 122 and123, a sharps can be inserted in the normal cutting side downconfiguration as seen in FIG. 1 or a sharp can be inserted in an upwardconfiguration such as seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, as one can see theorientation of the number “3” on the butt portion of the handle 100.Since there are many surgeons and sharps users that are left handed, itis a unique advantage of this invention to be ambidextrous. Currentlyleft handed surgeons must use instruments designed for right handedusers, where the controls are on the opposite side of the instrument andtraining on the instruments is aimed for right handed users, causingleft handed users to either adapt to a right handed instrument or beforced to develop their own procedures. This invention allows for eithera left handed or a right handed user to operate the device in the exactsame manner, reducing the chances of errors due to improper handling andtraining on the use of the surgical device.

It can be appreciated by those appropriately skilled in the art thatchanges, modifications or embodiments can be made to this inventionwithout departing from the spirit, principles, theories, ideas orconceptions that have been disclosed in the foregoing. It is hereinrecognized that the embodiments disclosed by this description of thebest mode of practicing this invention, which will be hereafterdescribed in their full breadth in the claims and equivalents thereof.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A scalpel handle, comprising: a body havinga sharps mounting post disposed at and extending away from a first endof the body in a proximal-distal first direction; and a shield retainedon the body and slideable in the first direction between a retractedposition and an ejectment position, the shield including a firstejectment arm extending inwardly from a portion of the shield in asecond direction perpendicular to the first direction within an interiorof the shield and defining a portion that is in a fixed position in thesecond direction and at least partially aligned with a portion of thesharps mounting post to pass the first end of the body and at least arearward end of the sharps mounting post during movement of the shieldinto the ejectment position.
 2. The scalpel handle of claim 1, wherein:the sharps mounting post includes a mounting groove; and the ejectmentarm extends inwardly from the portion of the shield, the fixed positionbeing such that the portion of the ejectment arm is behind the mountinggroove in the first direction.
 3. The scalpel handle of claim 1,wherein: the first ejectment arm is positioned adjacent a first side ofthe sharps mounting post; and the shield further includes a secondejectment arm positioned on a second side of the sharps mounting postopposite the mounting post in a third direction perpendicular to boththe first and second directions and defining a portion that is in afixed position in the second direction and at least partially alignedwith the portion of the sharps mounting post.
 4. The scalpel handle ofclaim 3, wherein: the body defines first and second longitudinal ejectorguides extending laterally inwardly from a side of the body adjacent thefirst and second ejectment arms and respectively positioned adjacent thefirst and second sides of the sharps mounting post; and the first andsecond ejectment arms extend respectively into the first and secondejector guides.
 5. The scalpel handle of claim 1, wherein: the handledefines first and second opposite long surfaces, first and secondopposite short surfaces extending between the long surfaces, and a firstchannel recessed into the first short surface, the first channelextending along a longitudinal axis of the handle; and the shieldincludes a guidance pin extending into and traversing the channel duringmovement of the shield between the retracted position, in which theshield is positioned away from the sharps mounting post, and an extendedposition between the retracted position and the ejectment position, inwhich the shield extends over the sharps mounting post.
 6. The scalpelhandle of claim 5, wherein: the shield further includes a positioningrelease button located on an exterior portion of the shield andconnected to the exterior portion and outwardly-biased therefrom by aflange, the guidance pin being positioned on the positioning releasebutton; the channel includes a first detent positioned along a portionthereof and disposed toward the positioning release button; and theguidance pin is engageable with the detent by an outward biasing thereofand is disengageable from the detent by inward movement of thepositioning release button.
 7. The scalpel handle of claim 6, whereinthe detent is positioned within the channel such that the guidance pinengages the detent when the shield is in the extended position torestrict movement of the shield into either the ejectment position orthe retracted position.
 8. The scalpel handle of claim 7, wherein thedetent is positioned within the channel such that the guidance pinengages the detent when the shield is in the retracted position torestrict movement of the shield toward the extended position.
 9. Thescalpel handle of claim 7, wherein the detent is adjacent aninwardly-extending ramp portion of the channel.
 10. A scalpel handle,comprising: a body defining first and second opposite long surfaces,first and second opposite short surfaces extending between the longsurfaces, and a first channel recessed into the first short surface, thefirst channel extending along the handle in a proximal-distal firstdirection, the body including a sharps mounting post extending from afirst end of the body and extending away from the channel in the firstdirection; and a shield retained on the body and slideable therealong inthe first direction, the shield including: a guidance pin extending intoand traversing the channel during movement of the shield between aretracted position, in which the shield is positioned away from thesharps mounting post, and an extended position, in which the shieldextends over the sharps mounting post; and a first ejectment armextending inwardly from a portion of the shield in a second directionperpendicular to the first direction within an interior of the shieldand defining a portion that is in a fixed position in the seconddirection at least partially aligned with a portion of the sharpsmounting post to pass the first end of the body and at least a rearwardend of the sharps mounting post during movement of the shield into anejectment position.
 11. The scalpel handle of claim 10, wherein: thechannel includes a first detent positioned along a portion thereofdisposed toward the first long surface of the handle; the shield furtherincludes a positioning release button located on an exterior portion ofthe shield and connected to the exterior portion and outwardly-biasedtherefrom by a flange, the guidance pin being positioned on thepositioning release button; and the detent extends toward thepositioning release button such that the guidance pin is engageable withthe detent by an outward biasing thereof and is disengageable from thedetent by inward movement of the positioning release button.
 12. Thescalpel handle of claim 11, wherein the first detent is positionedwithin the channel such that the guidance pin engages the first detentwhen the shield is in the extended position to restrict movement of theshield into either the ejectment position or the retracted position. 13.The scalpel handle of claim 12, wherein the first detent is open on thefirst short surface of the handle to define a release channeltraversable by the guidance pin by an outward force on the positioningrelease button beyond a natural outwardly-biased position thereof. 14.The scalpel handle of claim 12, wherein the first detent is flanked byfirst and second ramp portions inclined from portions of the channeldisposed away from the detent to portions of the channel disposedadjacent the detent, the first detent being disposed toward theejectment position and extending inwardly a first distance that isgreater than a second distance through which the second ramp portionextends.
 15. The scalpel handle of claim 11, wherein the first detent ispositioned within the channel such that the guidance pin engages thedetent when the shield is in the retracted position to restrict movementof the shield toward the extended position.
 16. The scalpel handle ofclaim 15, wherein the detent is adjacent an inclined ramp portion of thechannel.
 17. The scalpel handle of claim 11, wherein: the first detentis positioned within the channel such that the guidance pin engages thefirst detent when the shield is in the extended position to restrictmovement of the shield into either the ejectment position or theretracted position; and a second detent is positioned within the channelsuch that the guidance pin engages the second detent when the shield isin the retracted position to restrict movement of the shield toward theextended position.
 18. The scalpel handle of claim 10, wherein: the bodydefines a first longitudinal ejector guide extending laterally inwardlyfrom the first long surface of the body and positioned on a firstvertical side of the sharps mounting post; and the first ejectment armextends into the first ejector guide.
 19. The scalpel handle of claim18, wherein: the shield further includes a second ejectment armextending within an interior of the shield in a substantially fixedlateral position at least partially aligned with a portion of the sharpsmounting post; the body further defines a second longitudinal ejectorguide extending laterally inwardly from the first long surface of thebody and positioned on a second side of the sharps mounting post; andthe second ejectment arm extends into the second ejector guide.
 20. Ascalpel handle, comprising: a body including a sharps mounting postextending from a first end of the body in a proximal-distal firstdirection, the body defining first and second opposite long surfaces,first and second opposite short surfaces extending between the longsurfaces, a detent recessed into the first short surface, and anejectment channel portion extending from the detent toward the firstend; and a shield retained on the body and slideable therealong in thefirst direction between an extended position and an ejectment position,the shield including: a guidance pin positioned on an outwardly-biasedpositioning release button and engaging with the detent when the shieldis in the extended position and being slideable into the ejectmentchannel portion upon inward deflection of the positioning releasebutton; and a first ejectment arm extending inwardly from a portion ofthe shield in a second direction perpendicular to the first directionwithin an interior of the shield and defining a portion that is in afixed position in the second direction and at least partially alignedwith a portion of the sharps mounting post to pass at least a rearwardportion of the sharps mounting post during movement of the shield fromthe extended position to the ejectment position.